


Secret Keepers

by IllegalCerebral



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Episode: s06e17 Valhalla, Fake Character Death, Hotch doesn't lie, Secrets, Team Dynamics, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 10:39:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14211372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllegalCerebral/pseuds/IllegalCerebral
Summary: What if JJ and Hotch hadn't kept the team in the dark about Emily being alive?





	Secret Keepers

There are choices that, once they have been made, weigh you down like chains, anchoring you to a time and place so you can never move on. This was going to be one of those choices, Hotch thought, as he looked down at Emily. Swaddled in blankets and encased in tubes and wires she looked so small and helpless, so unlike the woman he had fought side by side with for years.

JJ hovered by his elbow, stoic and ready for whatever came next. He knew that if he ordered her right then and there to go out and lie to the team she would. She'd torment herself about it and maybe even resent him for giving the order but no one followed the rules like JJ, she was straight as an arrow, duty or be damned. The thought pained and comforted him at the same time.

“What do you want to do?” she asked.

The chains seemed heavy already.

“Send them to Dave’s house. No one one is to go to Quantico or speak to anyone from the bureau until I speak to them understood?”

JJ frowned but nodded and strode out of the hospital room. Hotch looked back at Emily.

_I hope for your sake I’m doing the right thing._

* * *

 

 

* * *

 

“So she’s alive?” Garcia’s whole face lit up “Oh my god, thank you whoever is out in the great unknown watching over us, thank you, thank-”  
  
“No”

Everyone fell silent as Hotch’s words cut across them.

“But...you just said” said Reid with a frown.

“Hotch what’s going on?” asked Morgan. His stare was so intense that anyone else would have faltered beneath it. 

Not Hotch though.

“On paper at least” began Hotch “Emily is dead. I am reporting to everyone except Strauss that she died on the operating table despite the best efforts of the doctors. The hospital has been briefed. The director is releasing a statement tomorrow and a funeral will be held next week.”

“You’re going to bury an empty coffin?” asked Morgan.

“It’s better than burying Emily and that’s what will happen if Doyle finds out she’s alive” said JJ gently “This can’t get out. We all need to act as if she’s gone.”

“But she will be gone right?” Hotch could see the wheels in Morgan’s head turning “You can’t keep her in the US, not if there’s a chance Doyle could learn she’s alive.”

“You sent her away?” Reid went pale “She’s hurt, she needs us to support her! We have to take care of her! Where is she?”

“I’m not telling you that. The less people that know the better” said Hotch “To be completely honest my first choice was to tell you all that she was dead, that way only JJ and I would know. There would be no chance of anyone finding out.”

There was a stunned silence. Reid looked between Hotch and JJ in utter disbelief and Garcia gripped his hand as fresh tears fell. Morgan’s head fell into his hands, teeth gritted as he tried to control the swell of anger that was rising inside him. Rossi leant back in his chair with a look that told Hotch he could expect a very frank discussion on this at a later date.

“I chose not to do that” said Hotch “I chose to inform you all because we’re a family and you deserve to be notified. I know what her death would do to you all and I couldn’t inflict that kind of devastation.”

“Why isn’t Ashley here?” asked Rossi “Too new?”

“Seaver has decided to pursue a position in Counter Terrorism following her graduation” said Hotch “Since she won’t be staying with us I thought it would be better for her not to be told.”

“So we have to go and pretend to bury Emily?” asked Reid “People will know though right? They’ll see that we aren’t behaving like people who are grieving, they’ll realise and then Emily will be in danger and-”

“Spence” JJ cut in as the panic began to rise in Reid’s voice “They aren’t profilers, they won’t see it. Plus we  _are_  grieving. She isn’t dead but she is gone and we won’t see her until it’s safe for her to return”

“How long will that be?” asked Garcia. Her lips were trembling.

“It could be years” said Hotch, sitting down next to her and taking her free hand  “I will do everything in my power to bring Doyle to justice but these things take time. I know it’s going to be hard but we need to do this. We need to be Emily’s secret keepers to make sure she’s safe.”

“Did you...did you just make a Harry Potter reference?” asked Garcia. Morgan snorted and Hotch felt the mood in the room lift slightly. Even Reid managed a small smile. 

“We just need to remember it’s for her” said JJ “We’ll get through this”

“Will you be able to stay in touch with her?” asked Reid.

“I have my ways” JJ grinned.

“Tell her we miss her” said Morgan

“Tell her we love her” corrected Rossi.

“Could we write letters?” asked Reid “For you to pass on I mean?”

JJ glanced at Hotch who paused.

“Perhaps once she’s settled” he said slowly “We would need to make sure we could do it securely.” Reid nodded rapidly, gripping Garcia’s hand tighter. There was a general hum of acceptance around the room.

“Thank you” Hotch said finally.

“For what?” asked Morgan.

“Understanding” said Hotch with a small shrug “I was scared about telling you all.”  
  
“We’ll get through this” said Morgan, firmly “We’re a family”


End file.
